Conventional lever-type connectors are of the sort shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 of this specification.
A lever 2 provided on a lever-type connector 1 is C-shaped and has a pair of arms 3 which are attached to side faces of a connector housing 5 so as to be pivotable. A cam 3a provided on an inner face of each arm 3 fits with a protruding member of a corresponding connector housing (not shown) and draws the connector housings together as the lever is pivoted to the closed condition.
An operating member 4 connected between the arms 3 of the lever 2 has a bendable lock 4a. When the lever 2 is pivoted to pull the connector housings into a fitted state, the bendable lock 4a bends in a resilient manner and fits with a protruding member 5a located at the posterior end of the connector housing 5. In order to separate the connector housing 5 and the corresponding connector housing, a pressing member 4b of the bendable lock 4a is bent and the housing can be separated by pivoting the lever 2 in a direction opposite to the direction described above.
In the prior lever-type connector 1, the aim of making the lever 2 fit with the connector housing 5 is that, as long as the operator does not intentionally release the lock by pushing the pressing member 4b, the lever 2 does not pivot in such a direction as to cause the separation of the connector housings.
However, in this prior connector 1, a problem exists in that if a force is applied at locations other than at the pressing member 4b as, for example, shown in FIG. 10, where an external force is applied in the direction of the arrows at both ends of the rotating operating member 4, then, as shown in FIG. 12, the entire operating member 4 bends and the lock 4a can be released inadvertently.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problems into consideration, and aims to present a lever-type connector having a highly reliable latch and which does away with the problem of unintentional release.